For the Harvest…

Pentecost 20

This week I have been at Synod and spending time immersed in legislation and various motions for everything from appreciating Mother’s Union to calling on our Federal Government to follow through on their commitment to putting appropriate boundaries around the gambling industry. There are motions about continuing work in relationship with our indigenous brothers and sisters, including our young people in decision making bodies such as Parish Council, tidying up some unclear things in other legislation and working through Archbishop Ric’s vision for the next 20 years called ‘For the Harvest’, which is a very inspirational yet entirely practical vision for mission and ministry across our diocese. Of particular interest to some has been the emphasis on mission through our parishes, schools, chaplaincies and other ministries being the central place of the work of the church in its many forms. The establishment of The Perry Centre for Renewal’ which will work to help parishes and other ministries of the church be equipped for renewal, planting and revitalisation. The three focuses of this are to help us to: understand our present reality, discern the next faithful step, access support, and act. Understanding the need of our ministries to be able to be well supported means that the Anglican Centre will be reshaped to ‘strengthen the support for local mission, with clearer responsibilities, simpler access, stronger co-ordination and reliable follow-through.’ The third strand of this is to work to work on resourcing this mission. The pillar of all this is faithfulness in prayer, and the practical outworking will be in working with current finances and structures to bring financial support and clear structural support into being so renewal can be sustained. The focus from the beginning has been prayer, asking the Lord of the harvest for workers for the harvest, but also working on how we can go forward as those workers together. In all this there are 3 questions we might like to ask ourselves as a parish: What is God already doing here? What is our part? What is our next faithful step? Looking forward to working through this with you.

Janice

This Week:

Regular Worship Times

Parish Contact Details

Reminder of upcoming events:

Notices:

Thank You

To all who contributed in any way to Trivia Night on 3rd October. Richard and helpers who put up the tables and arranged the chairs, then put them all back for Services on Sunday. A special thankyou to Janice, who came despite recuperating from fairly serious surgery. Thankyou to Jen and Anne for providing the catering and to Roy who, of course, was invaluable in organising the sound system. A big thankyou to Robyn, without whose help on the night, I would have found it hard to manage. To all who attended – a very big thankyou! The camaraderie and smiles contributed to a wonderful atmosphere! Thankyou, Heather.

Operation Christmas Child

This is the last week for anyone who would like to fill a box can do so after each of the services on Sunday. Alternatively, you can see Anne with $25 (or whatever you are able to contribute) and a box will be filled on your behalf.

CMS Anna visit to St Marks

Our CMS link Missionary, Anna, is visiting St Mark’s on the weekend of Saturday 31st October and Sunday 1st November. Please plan to join Anna for an African Lunch on Saturday from 12.30pm. We will eat African food and hear from Anna about her work with Creation Care with A Rocha in Kenya. It is essential for catering purposes that you let us know you are coming. The food will be as far as possible gluten free but will contain garlic and onion. If this is a problem please come and bring your own lunch and share dessert and chai tea and hear of Anna’s adventures. There is no charge for lunch. There will be an opportunity to contribute financially towards Anna’s work. Contact Carol 0411 405596 or Steve 0437 984679 or sign sheet in the Narthex.

CMS Summer Conference

7th & 8th January at Crossway Baptist Church Early bird tickets are now available online https://my.cms.org.au/ Speak with Steve P. for more details.

This Week’s Prayer Focus

In our country and the world:

• For the people of Israel and Iran and Middle East countries.
• For the victims and those who are mourning after the Bondi terrorist attack.
• For all needing support following home invasions and all other violent attacks.
• For Government action to address the out-of-control protests in Melbourne.
• For the Government plans to address the rise of antisemitism in Australia.
• For families suffering as a result of violence and home invasions.
• For those facing homelessness, hardship, anguish and despair amid rising costs.
• For all in Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine and Myanmar.
• For those affected by natural disasters in around the world.
• For King Charles III, the UK and the Commonwealth.
• For peace and unity in countries around the World.
• For aid agencies such as “Save the Children”, Oxfam, CARE, UNICEF, World Vision.

In our community:

• For teachers and students.
• For doctors, nurses, paramedics, Coast Guard, the CFA & SES.
• For local community outreach groups such as the Dromana Community House and “Food for All”.

In our Diocese and beyond:

• For Melbourne Archbishop-elect Right Reverend Dr Richard (Ric) Thorpe as he prepares to move from London to Melbourne.
• For Archbishop Geoffrey Smith’s ministry as Primate of Australia.
• For the ministry of Bishop Paul Barker in the Jumbunna Region and Archdeacon Rev’d Sam Bleby, in the Frankston Archdeanery.
• In our Deanery, we pray for the parish of Holy Trinity Hastings and their Vicar, Rev’d Tim Anderson
• Keiron, Vicar of Flinders/Balnarring.
• For the work of the Church Missionary Society and Wei-Han the Victorian Director.
• For Anna Radkovic our CMS Link Missionary in Watamu, Kenya.
• For Christian churches around the world to be free to worship and be witnesses
  of the love of God shown through the coming of His Son.

In our Parish:

• For our leadership and ministry teams.
• For Rev’d Janice O’Gorman.
• For the finances of our Parish.
• For the success of our building permit application.
• For our Parish, its people and those we reach out to every week.
• For the success of the new Beachside Youth program.
• For the Alpha program, the leaders and all who will attend.
• For the 9am at home prayer time for the Parish, Dromana & Mornington Peninsula.
• For all members of the Parish Council.
• That the Good News of Jesus will be known in Dromana.
• For Family of Ann Marie Spagnolo, Janice & family, William, Kevin, Anne, Doris B, Ellen, Ted & Monica, Lorna, Louise, Jen, TJ and family, Karen, Mary, Jan K, David, Belinda, Robyn, Phillip, Nikki, Jason, Rhiannon, Richard, Pat, Keith S, Harry, Mike, Chloe, Jessica, Audrey, Backy, Fred, Robert.